Mobonix

MobonixImagine the mundane pace of an ordinary day suddenly turned into an explosive, magnetic and even hypnotic force of the night. All at once, without warning, your mind lifted from the drudgery of routine, opting instead for something spontaneous, unpredictable and moving. Like the wealthy industrialist Bruce Wayne, who suited up as “Batman” to fight in the name of Gotham City – Mobonix, a tax paying citizen by day, is obliged to be that force. Known in hip hop circles from Lake Street to Boulevard.“It’s just that extra element that makes it crack,” says the Atlanta based rapper. “The movement is about us going from the bottom to the top and I’m here to help take that shit over the top.”Genres and superheroes aside, the Minneapolis born lyricist is positioning himself as an emcee who can hold his own in any cipher, on any block, in any part of the world. His debut solo album, Third World America, is a testament to those objectives and his visionary approach. A culmination of the life and times of a rapper named Mobonix verses the inherent struggles of a Black man working to survive in America, dare break new ground through his truth telling musical testimony.“My whole style has always been about how I was living at the moment,” Mo says. “It’s about what I’m actually doing or what I’m accomplishing. I just stick to what I know and do what it do.”Not one to roll off the typical drummed up bunch of rap influences, Mobonix’s trek into emceeing unfolded just as organically as anything else. His fondest memory of ever wanting to rap came to pass during a stint at a county home school. Needless to say, young Mo was not impressed. “It was like everybody was telling me he had crazy rhymes, crazy styles, the whole gas up,” he remembers with a hearty laugh, “and then the nigga was just wack as hell. It just seemed real disrespectful. It just seemed real wack as hell for niggas to take all that time to pump him up and he was gonna be sorry.” With that episode Mo had all the motivation he needed and began his artistic hip hop hike.Years later as a member of Independent Staus, Mo found additional encouragement to flow through his friend and fellow emcee Self. Still, the well traveled hustler put his artistic efforts off intermittently for favor of club promotions. After a stretch in Washington DC, Mo promoted hundreds of infamous house parties upon returning home. Success and money came in by the truckload as he and his click formed Fat Saks Entertainment.Six months after the successful run Mo decided on leaving his beloved Minnesota and drove to Atlanta where a good majority of his crew had set up shop. Since expanding into a threefold entity, which included the Fat Rhyme Sector and Fat Saks Entertainment and the original Micranots, the growing legion of hip hop hopefuls decided on a name that befit their progression: Universal Vibe Squad.Then known as Newsense, Mo was a contributing and mighty member on the Fat Rhyme Sector’s debut album – Breathe Easy. He also promoted parties and performed at various hotspots in and around metro Atlanta. Among them were Soho, the world famous Warehouse and Club Esso. With bookings from the likes of budding talents such as DJ Drama, DJ Smurf, The Attic Crew, Tony Touch, and Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys to his credit, Mo quickly earned a glowing reputation among Atlanta’s hip hop elite. With that came a level of consistency that urged the rapper to build his own brand. Then came Mobonix.“The Streets Religion,” a 12-inch single, which featured Slick & Rose on the B side, went on to become an underground favorite and Mobonix has continued a fervid pace in anticipation of his debut album - Third World America. “To me it equals the poverty, the degradation, the lack of opportunity and the grind to get out here and get it,” he says. “They don’t want to give us answers. They’d rather see us in jail. So that’s what [my album] means. We’re the underdogs. I represent the ones who will work for .50 per hour if they have to.”The Bean 1 produced “Make Me Believe,” featuring Chocolate, a female emcee from Seattle, is expected to lead the way on a twelve track album worth the wait. “I hate to sound cliché and say it’s inspirational, but it is, “ Mo explains, “This is a description of a lot of [people’s] lives and it just puts a little bit more faith back into the game.” The up tempo “Strugglin’” boasts a more rapid cadence and beckons the more energetic listener, but still makes time for a nostalgic drift. “That one is just where niggas come from,” Mo tells. “It’s the real shit; the real circumstances. To not fuck up the re-up money, niggas would go steal some food. Be it by a bunk check or runnin’ to the grocery store and stickin’ some food in your pocket, whatever; whatever situation to make it jump.”Mo’s mission to put the “heart and soul” back in the game . Taking cues from R&B heroes and hip hop legends alike, Third World America comes through in a big way. “Please,” featuring the aforementioned Slick & Rose, taps into the undying spirit of urban America’s forefathers. “It comes from that perspective of like, your girl who knows that you gotta go get it,” Mo discloses. “That could be your moms, your grandma, whoever. They’re not endorsing it, but they know it’s necessary.”“Shine For Me” picks up where “Please” leaves off, forever promoting the idea of progress. Produced by MF Doom , it’s arguably the most musical track on the album. “I’ma take this shit from where we started and show the world,” he proposes in character. “I’ma make the opportunity to take it beyond. If a nigga ain’t here, keep shinin’. Shine for me.”The title track and “Dreams” maintain Mobonix’s vision for a brighter tomorrow and an even more progressive today. “The media is tryna play hip hop like it’s dead,” Mo offers. “But it’s not dead and we’re not gonna stop. The media may try to twist it around and go with the immediate fad at the moment, but the people in street are still gonna be here. We’re the ones that make shit happen.”Third World America is scheduled for a fall 2007 release.